The First Day of a New Kitty at Home

1. PREPARING FOR KITTY’S ARRIVAL

So the big day has come when you are going to welcome your new kitten into your home.  It is an exciting time, but it can also be a bit stressful for you and your kitty if you are not prepared.  In this article, you will find some important tips to make it easier for your kitten to adapt well to your new home and family.

Ensure a Safe Environment For Your New Kitty

• Kittens are curious by nature, but they can also feel a little insecure when they arrive at their new home, so it is important to create a safe environment for them. The easiest way to achieve this is to prepare one room, preferably a spare bedroom or bathroom.  The room should be equipped with a litter box, food, water, and cat toys.  Your kitty may want to have somewhere to hide and escape, so it’s a good idea to prepare a covered basket or a simple cardboard box with a comfortable blanket over a pillow inside.
• It’s important to think about all those things that might tempt your kitty to investigate – scissors, string, rubberbands…things that kitty could choke on or get cut by.
• Many houseplants are toxic, so please be sure to keep plants where you are certain kitty cannot get access.
• Another basic investment you should make is to buy a scratching post and one or two scratching boards. It’s a good idea to keep a scratching board in each room that doesn’t have the scratching post.  Rub some catnip on each one (most scratching boards come with some.) If you catch kitty scratching elsewhere, a firm “no” and then take the kitty to the scratching post or board and hold his paws and show him how to use it.  Never ever hit or punish kitty.
• To socialize a new kitten, take a small blanket or towel and wrap your kitten in it and hold him close to you. Hold him gently but firmly, even if he squirms a lot, don’t let him go too fast, hold him for as long as possible so he gets used to the human contact.  Eventually, he will get used to and enjoy this human contact.
• Cat toys – great cat toys include the “fishing rod” type, toy balls, toys stuffed with catnip, the plastic rings from milk jugs, and of course empty boxes. Kittens do love to play with string and ribbons, but please be sure to put these away when you cannot supervise, as kitty may try to swallow them and they do post a choking hazard.

Finally, the most important thing is that you have a good time!  The process of getting to know and establish a bond with your pet is probably the best part of having a companion cat.